Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-31
MISS JULIA ROBINSON.

On one point leel sure you must agree
with me-that few can boast of such con-
stancy as mine With my hand on my
heart can safely say that since We parted
during the whole eighteen years that
have interviewed i have never once
sweryed in my allegiance to the lovely
Julia Robinson"
Miss Robinson's eyes-lowered to read
for the sixth or seventh time the letter
which lay before her-were raised to fix
themselves on the opposite glass, in which
she could see herself reflected A soft
pink flush had mounted to her cheeks, a
little smile played about her mouth. She
rose from her chair and went nearer, so
that she might take stock of herself more
critically.
Il" suppose | was thought very pretty"
she said Everybody tells me so. / don't
think am very much altered. Ny hair
is the same and she pulled down an au-
burn coil sweet II might have envied-
my complexion is good, and / don't feel
old, although | am seven-and-thirty.
Thirty-seven oh, dear ~ and she heaved
a sigh and again betook herself to reading
the letter.
" wonder this was made after an
other perusal-" would he see much differ
ence in me? Of course he must know
that it is impossible | can still be exactly
like the picture"
she laughed softly over the recollec-
tions stirred up by thinking of that pict-
urea portrait of herself, which the
writer of the letter, certain Adolphus
Penberthy, had, eighteen years ago, when
saying good-by, possessed himself of sur
reptitiously, putting it into his pocket
while waiting in the drawing-room. Its
abstraction was not discovered until he
was well on his way to India, and then
oh, dear what a terrible fuss ensued for
this was not in the days of photography,
and to have a miniature exquisitely
painted on ivory carried off by pudding
face young man, overcome by despair be-
cause at the hight of his calf-love he was
sent off to India, was really rather too
provoking.
How her father had stormed; how her
dear mother had screened her; what a
chorus of scorn had the whole family
Joined in against that awkward, stupid,
loutish, overgrown Dolly Penberthy,
whom Julia must have encouraged, or he
would never have dared to presume to take
such liberty" Julia herself had been
indignant beyond measure at the libel cast
upon her 1t was true-and that she did
not deny-that she had been guilty of
flirting with some men; but with Dolly
Penberthy-never! And yet now she was
contemplating the possibility of marrying
him.
Yes, certainly, while reading the pro-
posal contained in that letter such an idea
had come to her. For her heart had been
touched by so much constancy and devo-
ton; and beyond that, far stronger than
she would have cared to admit was the
craving for a Iowa love wholly and en-
tirely her own, which was not shared with
anybody
Years, which had robbed our fair Julia
of some of her personal charms, had added
iourfold to the sweetness of her character
and the girl whose high spirits and light
heart had sometimes called her into what
had been justly termed Irritation, had grown
into a sweet, earnest, tender woman, with
no higher ambition than to be n true wife
to the man who would intrust his happiness
to her. She was aunty to all the little
ones around, and every married man of her
acquaintance Joined in the wonder that
Julia still remained Miss Robinson.
Miss Robinson herself might have an
swered that, many as her offers had been,
not one had come from any man she cared
for. And sorer point to herself than
being still single was that she had never vet
been in love. OF late it had often occurred
to her that she must have looked for too
much that had she said Yes" where she
had said NO she would have been a
wiser as well as a happier woman.
She had not been educated in the days
of high schools, classes and colleges. To
take up art or science was quite beyond
her. Somehow district visiting did not
seem her vocation, and her attempts at an
ambulance class had ended in utter failure.
Poor Miss Julia she kept smiling face
over heart that was growing very sore;
1t seemed as if there was nothing for her
to do-nobody wanted her; and in the
very midst of this, when the tide of de-
spondency was slowly setting in, this letter
had come, saying that she was still en-
shrined in the memory of one man, who
for all these years had kept constant to
her, and that if she would consent to I'M
dertake so long a journey-for it was i'm
possible for Mr.. Penberthy to leave India
she would make him the happiest of men.
He further entered on his means, and the
luxuries he could give her, and ended by
entreating her to reply by return of post,
and tell him tLat he was net hoping in
vain.
Miss Robinson had no longer any par
ents to consult; both were long since dead.
If she had told her sisters that she had
had an offer from the Grand Turk they
would have advised her accepting him.
She therefore relied on her own Judgment
TO guide her, and the mail for that month
carried out a letter, in which she frankly
asked Mr.. Penberthy if he had fully real
lied the change that must have taken
place in her since they had last parted.
She begged him TO recollect that while he
ut 40 was still man in his prime, she was
no longer looked on rs young woman;
and that until she felt assured these and
other facts set down were present to his
mind she could not accept his Offer much
as it gratifed her
The reply to this letter came in due
time, written with all the impetuosity of
most ardent lover. 'If your sweet face was
wrinkled, and your lovely hair grown
gray" wrote the infatuated Adolphus,
you would only be so much more the
dearer to me. All want is to know that
you consent to be mine, and accept the
name of Penberthy in place of that of
Robinson"
So the matter was decided, and the news
was spread abroad, everybody taking quite
an unusual interest in the affair." for most
OF us have a touch of romance in our ma
ture, and it was like thing one reads of
in a story. A young man desperately in
love, obliged to 60 away, running off with
his lady loves picture; and then, after
years had passed, writing to her again, to
tell her he had always kept faithful, and
that now he had made his fortune he
wanted her to share it with him. There
was only one thing to be hoped, that if
Miss Julia could not return his love she